Greek mayors to shut down halt services in protest at austerity measures

ATHENS, Greece – Mayors from across Greece say they will suspend municipal services for three days next week to protest planned new austerity measures that will target their staff in mass job cuts.

Greece's Central Union of Municipalities voted Friday to take the July 15-17 action as parliament prepared to vote on the new measures next week demanded by bailout creditors for Athens to receive a new batch of emergency loans worth 6.8 billion euros ($8.9 billion). The protest is considered unusual because strikes are typically called by unions that represent employees.

The government has promised to fire 15,000 public sector employees by the end of 2014 and transfer another 12,500 to new positions this year.